


Children of Balance

by idrilhadhafang



Series: Scavenger Ben Solo [1]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Dark Rey, Dark Side Rey, Evil Snoke, General Leia Organa - Freeform, Hux is Not Nice, Minor Poe Dameron/Ben Solo, Mother-Son Relationship, Multi, POV Ben Solo, POV Rey (Star Wars), Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Pilot Poe Dameron, Pilot Rey, Poe Dameron Needs A Hug, Poe Dameron Whump, Rey Needs A Hug, Scavenger Ben Solo, Slow Burn Poe Dameron/Ben Solo, Space Battles, Torture, like if you squint - Freeform, pilot ben solo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 00:49:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15303777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: What if Ben was the scavenger and Rey the Knight of Ren?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [the long way home](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8884024) by [hanorganaas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanorganaas/pseuds/hanorganaas). 



> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: Special thanks to hanorganaas for letting me try a similar idea.

The thing about Jakku was that people didn’t just come here. Ben knew that — he’d been working on Jakku (if you could call this existence working, or for that matter, living. Existing was something more like it) ever since he was four years old. To protect him, his mother had said. That was her reasoning. Even in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but resent her. Even if it was to protect him, how did it justify leaving him to beings like Plutt? 

He was nearly thirty, and this was his life. Living on Jakku, scavenging for parts whenever he could, anything to quench his thirst and sate his hunger. Nothing really changed on Jakku, nothing ever did. 

Which only made the appearance of the pilot even more confusing. 

Even watching him land in the hangar and come out with a BB unit by his side, Ben took a closer look at him. He was rather short (though then again, everyone was shorter than Ben Solo), with a mop of black hair — quite handsome, actually, Ben couldn’t help but notice. He couldn’t help but be fascinated; it wasn’t often that strangers came to Jakku. 

The pilot made his way through the crowd, through people who were lined up to get their portions for the day. Ben nearly dropped his sack of salvage when the pilot approached.

”Lost?” he said. 

“Not really,” the pilot said. “I was actually looking for someone.”

Ben smiled a bit. “You’re not going to find them on Jakku. The place isn’t one for finding people.”

”You never know,” the pilot said. He smiled. “I’m Poe, by the way. Poe Dameron.”

”Dameron?” Ben said. “I heard stories about your family. I thought they were myths!”

Poe laughed. He looked beautiful, Ben thought, when he laughed. “Not really. They’re as real as real can be, actually. Though I guess they probably seem like legends, here on Jakku.”

They advanced up the line, and Ben dumped his sack of salvage on the table in front of Unkar Plutt. The Crolute looked over the salvage, and said, “What you brought me today is worth...one half portion.”

”Sorry?” Poe said. “One half portion for a sack of salvage? What kind of sick joke are you playing?”

”What about the droid?” Plutt said. 

Ben looked over at the BB unit. “What about him?”

”I’ll pay for him,” said Plutt. He took a whole heap of portions and slammed it on the table. Ben’s jaw ached just looking at it. “Sixty portions.”

Ben swallowed. “That’s someone else’s droid,” he said. “He’s not for sale.”

He took his half-portion and walked off, Poe and the BB unit following. It was then that they were accosted by Plutt’s men, and Ben sighed. It looked, he thought, like someone wanted to do this the hard way. 

Minutes later, the men were unconscious, either hit by a stun blast or by Ben’s staff. Ben turned to look at Poe, smiled. “You know,” he said. “We make a great team.”

”Yeah,” Poe said. “You want to come back to my ship? Maybe we can talk.”

Ben paused. He didn’t just go with anyone. Still, this stranger didn’t seem like he meant any harm...

”Okay,” he said. “But if you try anything — ’’

”I won’t,” said Poe. 

***

The shuttle was still in hyperspace, and approaching Jakku. In the cockpit of the shuttle, Kira Ren sat and meditated. Poe Dameron was on Jakku, and so was...someone else. A presence, blindingly light, and yet with veins of darkness threading through it. 

Kira Ren, formerly known as Rey, could not say she had ever felt a presence quite like this. She was used to the Darkness — her mother, who could be kind one minute and cruel the next. Supreme Leader Snoke, who constantly mistreated her, but whom she stayed with because she felt she had no other choice. She couldn’t help but be curious even feeling the presence in the Force — she’d never felt something close to the Light before. 

Kira shook her head. There was no use dwelling on such things. She needed to concentrate on her mission. It was no use dwelling on what could have been. 

The shuttle shot out of hyperspace, and Kira took in Jakku for the first time. Such a nothing planet — who would even think to set foot there? Honestly. 

The shuttle landed, and Kira disembarked from it. It was time, she thought, to accomplish her mission. 


	2. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Poe talk, and Kira Ren and her soldiers show up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"So you're saying after fifteen years, my mother's finally come to get me?"

Ben stared at Poe in disbelief. He couldn't wrap his mind around it. In fact, Poe would have made him less flabbergasted if he said that, say, Unkar Plutt had decided to give free portions to all scavengers, salvage be damned. 

"She misses you," Poe said, and what Ben would kill to hear was also tainted by the fact that his mother had waited for that long. He didn't know what to think, what to feel. 

Ben swallowed. "How's Dad?"

"He misses you too," Poe said. "He never really forgave your mother for sending you to Jakku."

At least Ben could say that was a good thing about his father. 

There was the sounds of shouting outside, and Poe stiffened. The BB unit started beeping frantically, and Ben said, "Kira Ren's here?"

He had heard stories about Kira Ren. Had thought that she was mostly a myth. A campfire story.

Poe nodded. "You look -- "

"Well, I thought she was a campfire story," Ben said. "A woman who mysteriously turned to the Dark Side -- "

"She's not a story," Poe said.

Ben swallowed. "What happens if she overruns Jakku?"

"I think it's likely she'll kill everyone."

Ben got to his feet. "We better do something."

They all but sprinted down the loading ramp, the BB unit in tow, only to notice that stormtroopers had already flooded into the village, shooting at everything. Ben took out his staff and spun it, charging into the fray even as Poe shot at the troopers.

The thing about using your staff was that on Jakku, you either adapted or you died. There wasn't any room for losing a fight, not on Jakku. Losing a fight meant you died. Just when they thought they'd beaten back the stormtroopers, Kira Ren appeared.

She wasn't a particularly tall woman, Ben thought, but she made up for it with the sheer menace in her stance. She wore long, flowing robes and a mask that looked almost avian. Ben drew his staff, and Poe drew his blaster. She walked towards them, Poe shooting at her, only for Kira to deflect the blaster bolts with her lightsaber -- a double-bladed lightsaber, Ben noticed, almost like his staff.

And then he felt it. Like he had been frozen in place, unable to move. Poe was the same way. 

Kira circled them, and though she wore the mask, Ben could swear that he could feel her eyes all but piercing through him. She turned towards the surviving stormtroopers and spoke, her voice vaguely Coruscanti sounding and filtered, almost mechanical sounding. "Put them onboard."

On the way to the ship, a stormtrooper wearing chrome armor -- and that was odd, Ben thought; he couldn't say that he had seen that before -- spoke. "Ma'am. The villagers."

"Forget them. We have what we need." 

She waved her hand, and all went black.

***

When Ben woke up, he was in some sort of interrogation room, and Kira Ren stood across from him. Ben spoke. "Where am I? Where is Poe?"

"He's been detained," said Kira, "For his safety." A beat. "I admit -- I don't think I've come across someone like you before. You're an interesting specimen."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're a perfect blend of the Light Side and the Dark," Kira said. 

"Me?" Ben couldn't help but be flabbergasted. "The Force is a myth! You're a myth! Just a campfire story..."

A beat. "I didn't think I'd rise to the level of campfire stories," Kira said, "But yes, the Force is real. As real as you or me."

Silence.

"You don't trust me?"

"Well, the mask probably has something to do with it." A beat. "Why do you wear it?"

"It's a symbol," Kira said. "Like the lightsaber. It's who I am." 

Ben narrowed his eyes. 

“You weren’t made to live out your empty existence on Jakku. There’s something grander for you in store. You can trust me on that.”

***

Poe had already been tested to his limit, actually. Beaten, shocked, things of that nature — but he would be damned if he told anyone where the Resistance Base was. He wasn’t about to cave. 

Even when Kira Ren entered the room, Poe didn’t cave. Kira tilted her head, if slightly, before saying, “I had no idea we had the best pilot in the Resistance onboard. Comfortable?”

”Not really,” Poe said. If this was a Knight of Ren’s idea of a joke, it wasn’t very funny. 

Kira walked towards him. “I can’t say I’ve met a Resistance pilot before,” she said. 

“Really?” Poe said. 

“Yes. And I have to say I’m impressed — so far, none of my men have been able to get out of you the Resistance base’s location.”

”You might wanna rethink your technique.” 

Famous last words. Kira practically slammed him into the torture rack, and he groaned in pain. Even that didn’t compare to the feeling of Kira going through his memories like pages in a holobook — sifting through them. 

The death of his mother. Going off to the Academy for the first time. Some of the things he had seen on those missions...

”Where is it?” Kira said. 

“The Resistance...” Poe swallowed. “The Resistance will not be intimidated by you.”

He couldn’t keep up against Kira’s mind probing forever. But he could try to resist. 

“Where is it?” Kira said. 

Poe tried to block off any memories of D’Qar, any memories of Jess and the others, tried to remember playing sabaac in his head. He couldn’t hold up forever, but he could try. He could try...

Finally, Kira pushed past, into his defenses. "You’re not strong enough,” she said. “You never have been.”

Poe heard someone screaming. It took a while to realize that the scream was coming from him. 

***

Kira left, with one image all but burned into her memory. She turned to General Armitage Hux. “They’re on D’Qar,” she said. “Dameron did an admirable job resisting, but he couldn’t hold up long.”

Hux grinned, almost savagely. “Good. Then we can crush these insects once and for all.”

”Yes.” Kira couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disgust just talking to Hux; he always was as slippery as a Hutt, as her father used to say. (Even the memory of her father hurt. He would come back. She knew that) “Yes, we will.”


	3. Fight and Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Poe escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

When Poe heard the stormtrooper say, “Ren wants the prisoner”, he thought that somehow, after the horror and shame of having to give up the Resistance Base, things were only going to get worse from here. That was before the stormtrooper removed his helmet. 

“Listen carefully,” said the trooper, “If you do as I say, I can get you out of here.”

”You’re with the Resistance?” Poe said. 

“I...no. I just want to get out of here.”

”My friend’s in that cell. He’s probably being tortured...” Poe bit his lip. “Can you get him out of here too?”

”Yeah. I can.”

”Why are you helping us?” Poe said. 

“Because,” said the trooper, “It’s the right thing to do.”

***

Ben was already recovering from basically being shocked and prodded and generally hurt; there was that instance where the fog of agony wore off, and Ben saw Poe walking towards him — with the BB unit and a stormtrooper. 

“You — !” Ben practically hissed. 

The trooper sighed and removed his helmet, revealing a man with russet reddish brown skin, probably no younger than Ben. “I’m not here to torture you. I’m here to rescue you. Here.”

The trooper unlocked the binders, and Ben rubbed his wrists gingerly. Then he said, “Is this some sort of set up?”

Another sigh from the trooper. “If I wanted to torture you, which I don’t, I’d have gotten to it.”

Ben narrowed his eyes. Then, “Fine. It looks like I’ll have to trust you, for the time being.”

”We need a pilot,” said the trooper. 

“You’ve got one,” Poe and Ben said in unison. 

The trooper’s face broke out into a smile. “That’s...great news!” he said. “Come on. I better put my helmet back on; they’ll get suspicious if I don’t.”

”Right.” Ben sighed. “I’m sorry. I’ve had a...strange day.”

”You’re not alone,” the trooper said. 

***

Making their way to the hangar where the First Order shuttles were, FN-2187 couldn’t help but play a whole slew of worst case scenarios in his head. Reconditioning. Not to mention what would happen to the two men he was rescuing. Ren wanted the scavenger for something. FN-2187 didn’t know what, but he had a feeling it wasn’t good. And even hearing the pilot screaming down the hall, he’d known (along with the invasion of Jakku, which had had its share of casualties) that he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. 

“Okay,” he said. “Stay calm. Stay calm...”

”I am calm,” the pilot said. 

“I was talking to myself.”

The scavenger looked at FN-2187. “You’re not alone,” he said. 

When they finally boarded one of the shuttles, the pilot said, “Not a TIE fighter, but it’ll fit three of us. Right — Ben, get up here, and...”

”FN-2187.”

The two of them looked at him in astonishment. FN-2187 sighed. “That’s the only name they ever gave me.”

”Well, we ain’t using that,” the pilot said. “FN, huh? Finn — I’m gonna call you Finn. That all right?”

FN-2187 — Finn — nodded. 

“I’m Poe. Poe Dameron. This is Ben Solo — ’’

”General Solo’s son?” Finn said. 

Ben looked as unhappy as could be. “I used to be,” he said. “Come on — let’s get out of here.”

It was once they blasted off into hyperspace for D’Qar that Finn said, “What do you mean you used to be?”

”My parents,” Ben said, “If you can call them that, threw me away like garbage.”

”I’m sorry.” Finn suddenly felt a sense of awkwardness. He couldn’t imagine someone’s parents doing that to them on purpose. It seemed unfathomable. Most of the First Order had taken children against the will of their families. Finn was too young to know his parents, but he had a feeling that he was no exception. “I mean...I was taken from my parents too. It’s not the same, but...”

”They do that?” Ben looked at him in astonishment.

”Yes. No exceptions.”

Silence. “I’m sorry.” Now it was the scavenger’s turn to look awkward, like he didn’t know what to say. 

“So where are we going?” Finn said. 

“D’Qar,” said Poe. “The General wants her son back.”

”I still can’t believe it,” Ben said. 

Poe looked at him in sympathy. “You don’t think she misses you?”

”No. And frankly, she can kriff all chances for a happy family reunion.”

Poe sighed. “You don’t have to forgive her. Just...help us.”

”If the alternative’s Kira Ren,” Ben said, “I’ll take it.”

***

When they came out of hyperspace and swooped into D’Qar, the Resistance immediately started shooting at them. Even as Ben and Poe steered the shuttle away from the blasts, Ben said, “You didn’t really think this through!”

”Yeah, I figured that.” Poe took a deep breath. “Finn, BB-8, hold on — we’re going on rough! Emergency landing!"

They practically crashed, and even as they stumbled out, Ben noticed, with chagrin, that there were multiple blasters in their faces. He drew his staff, only for a woman with blond hair to shout, “It’s Poe! Hold your fire!”

The blasters lowered. And then another woman wove her way through the crowd. She was older, but the hairstyle looked familiar...

”Ben?” she said. “My son...”

That was General Organa? Ben lowered his staff, not knowing if he wanted to shout at her or hug her. Maybe he could do both. 

“We have a lot to talk about,” General Organa said. “Follow me.”

Ben, Poe, Finn and BB-8 did so. 

***

”So this man, Finn...helped you?”

General Organa sat in her chair, across from Finn, Ben and Poe. BB-8 was undergoing maintenance. 

Ben nodded. “I owe him one,” he said. “Honor’s incredibly rare in people nowadays.”

Poe squeezed his hand, half-comfortingly, half a warning. 

General Organa winced. “Well,” she said, “That was very noble of you, Finn. Defying the First Order like you did...”

”Thank you,” Finn said. 

Poe spoke up. “The First Order’s coming here,” he said. “And it’s my fault.” He sighed. “When Kira Ren tortured me, I...taunted her. I was so stupid, General, and I’m sorry...”

Ben squeezed his hand. “She’s a sadist,” he said. “Even if you hadn’t goaded her, she would have invaded your mind anyway.”

”I know, but...” Poe’s voice cracked. “I tried to protect you, all of you, and now D’Qar’s going to be bombed into a junkyard because of me...”

”Poe, enough.” The General’s voice was firm. "We’re going to do what we can to defend D’Qar, today. Hope is not lost.” She sighed. “Get your squad together. Kaydel Ko Connix is going to lead the evacuation. And we are going to win this, Poe, I promise.”

***

D’Qar was already busy. Even reuniting with his uncle Luke (who seemed to be unable to look him in the eye for a while), and getting to  the A-wings, Tallie Lintra, Blue Squadron’s leader, said, “Can you fly?”

Ben nodded. “I never left Jakku, but I took ships on some practice runs. And I used the flight simulator.”

”So you’ve got some experience under your belt. Good to know." Tallie smiled warmly. “Welcome to the fight.”

Even despite how dire the situation was, Ben couldn’t help but feel a prickle of excitement; he had never flown an A-wing before. 

Tallie grinned at the others. “All right, you guys! Looking good, looking tough. Who’s up for kicking the First Order’s cargo holds all over the galaxy?”

The rest of Blue Squadron practically went berserk. Ben, shyly, raised his hand. Tallie nodded. 

“That makes a bunch of us,” she said. “Now...the goal is to take out the First Order’s fleet and make sure that everyone gets to safety. Guaranteed.” She smiled. “Let’s remind the galaxy why you don’t kriff with the Resistance, shall we?”

And even listening to Tallie, Ben had to admire her. 

They said their goodbyes to Poe and his squadron. Poe turned to look at Ben, smiled. Ben could feel Poe’s eyes on him, taking him in in his orange jumpsuit (which honestly, he felt absurd in). Then, “It suits you. You look like a pilot.”

”Thanks. You too." Ben suddenly felt shy, tentative. He swallowed. “I never thought I’d get off Jakku, let alone...”

”It’s all a lot to take in,” Poe said. “I don’t blame you.”

”You ever imagine it that way?”

”I...wanted to be a pilot like my mom,” Poe said. “Definitely didn’t imagine what would come next, good and bad.” He smiled. “Right. Just...don’t forget to use your target computer. Follow Tallie’s orders; she knows what she’s doing. And we’ll be right behind you, promise.”

Ben smiled. “I know.”

They loaded up the X-wings and A-wings. Ben was paired with a droid they’d salvaged from the First Order, BB-9E. Across from him, Poe waved to him. Ben waved back. Finn saluted, and Ben grinned. 

Then he turned back to the front of his A-wing and took a deep breath. Time to get to work. 


	4. The Battle Of D’Qar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The evacuation begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

“All wings report in,” Tallie said. 

Even as the others reported in (including Ben’s uncle, Blue Eight), Ben already couldn’t help but feel nervous. Not for himself, but for Poe. They were out in space, ready to start a battle, and Ben knew that Kira Ren would probably enter the fight at some point. Would Poe be safe? He didn’t know. Stars willing, he didn’t know if they would make it out all right. 

“Blue Nine standing by,” Ben said, and at Tallie’s orders, they swooped in to attack the First Order blockade. 

Ben didn’t know if shooting at stuff using his flight simulator counted as experience, but even as he shot at different TIE fighters and other ships coming straight at him, he was glad he’d at least practiced. 

Others weren’t so lucky. Even as Ben listened over communications, he could hear their screams. Their dying exclamations of “oh stars, they’re all over me — I can’t hold them off for long — ’’ and other such things. 

Ben was no stranger to seeing terrible things. But out in the desert was different than actually being in space. Actually being in a battle, as opposed to one of those space battle simulators. 

“Just keep going. Jess, start your approach. I’ll be right — ’’

The comm crackled. 

“Poe!” Ben felt a sudden stab of panic. “Poe, are you all right?”

Silence. Too long of a silence for Ben’s tastes. Then Poe’s voice, thankfully, crackled back over the comm. "I’m all right. Really. Nearly fell out of the sky is all.”

Ben sighed, relieved. “Thought I’d lost you for a moment.”

”I’ll be okay. Come on; let’s do what we need to.”

Ben couldn’t argue with that. 

***

Kira Ren didn’t often get to use her piloting skills, but this was one of those instances where she got to. 

Even as she piloted the TIE fighter, she had to admire, plain and simply, how the fighter moved. There was a certain grace to it, a certain scope. She could vaguely remember her mother, in one of her rare sober moments, teaching her how ships moved. She didn’t get to fly a TIE fighter until she was sixteen, for practice, but she knew how other ships moved. 

A TIE fighter was just one of the most graceful. Flying was one of her rare joys, though considering those ties to her family, it came with its share of sorrow too. 

Kira blinked. There was no time, in the end, to focus on her family. The Resistance was threatening the fleet. She needed to defend it. 

Even as she shot down pilot after pilot, some dying instantly, some needing to be put out of the fight, she was all too used to it. There was no room for weakness, Snoke had taught her, when it came to fighting one’s enemies. There was only resolve, and strength. 

In the Force, she could feel Ben Solo. Ben, who had so much potential. Ben, who she doubted she wanted to kill. She reached out to him, and he wavered in that moment, clearly in shock. 

_Ben. You need a teacher. I can show you the ways of the Force._

_***_

Even the prospect of being taught by Kira Ren was enough to make Ben’s skin crawl. To be taught by her, the woman who had tortured one of his friends and done so much evil...

”Never,” he murmured. 

“Ben?” Tallie’s voice. “Are you okay?”

”Yeah.” Ben took a deep breath. “Kira Ren’s here.”

Tallie swore. “All right, everyone — whatever you do, concentrate your fire on her guards. You’re gonna want to get them before they get you, understood?”

”Yeah.” Ben sighed. “Figured that.”

He focused on one of the TIE fighters to Kira’s right. His goal, right now, was to get them before they got him. 

He shot. 

The moment that the blast hit the TIE fighter, Ben could practically hear the screaming. It vibrated through his head, almost echoing, and he couldn’t bear it. He couldn’t —

“Ben!” His uncle’s voice. “That’s the Force. Turn off your targeting computer.”

”What?” Ben said. 

“It’s our best chance. If you turn it off, reach out with your feelings...”

”All right.” Ben could only hope that this wasn’t some sort of joke on his uncle’s part. Even as he switched off his targeting computer, though, and followed the sensations, he could all but see Kira in the Force, as clearly as if she were in front of him. 

He fired. 

Kira Ren’s ship practically fell from the sky like a falling star. Tallie, voice shaking in amazement, said, “It’s a direct hit! Kira Ren is down.”

Ben couldn’t help but feel a prickling of unease in his stomach. He’d never really shot anyone out of the sky before. Now they just needed to get back to the Raddus and jump to hyperspace. 

They pulled into the Raddus, and from the window of his X-wing, Ben watched as the skies turned to blue lines. Now...now they needed to find a new base. And hopefully...

Hopefully Ben could complete his training.


End file.
